


Merry Men

by echoelbo



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe, Found Family, Gen, How do people write such long fics, PTSD, Sae and Goro found the pt, Sometimes family is blood, gods help me, or their own version of the pt, sometimes family is you and your many angery adoptive parents
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-27
Updated: 2018-03-27
Packaged: 2019-04-13 16:15:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14116116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/echoelbo/pseuds/echoelbo
Summary: Sae hangs at the cusp of being fired by her corrupt boss and Goro wants to help her. Unfortunately, things are rarely so simple.





	Merry Men

The first thing he wakes up to is the sound of the news drawling in the background. Goro stirs, hand hanging off the arm of the couch. He stares lazily at the screen, allowing it to come into focus at its own pace.

“— and in other news, a woman had thrown herself into traffic this morning, causing the —”

Goro sits up, interest piqued. He rubs the sleep out of his eyes and looks back to the television.

“— was known for her scientific research.”

Goro’s blood freezes. He stares at the bloody mess on the screen, feeling something churn in his stomach. He gags, but cannot stop looking.

“As per her will, her research will be handed over to the blooming politician, Shido Masayoshi, who promises to find another team to continue it.”

Goro shuts his eyes tightly as he covers his mouth. Flashes of memories play behind Goro’s eyelids - meeting a shadow, hearing its defiance, pulling the trigger on it, watching it melt before him, the shock of the shadow being so frail. He involuntarily remembers the broken body on the screen and the message about Shido, and his entire body seems to revolt.

He pulls himself up hastily, mind hazy and body uncooperative as he staggers into the bathroom.

His pale hands sweat as he grips the edges of the toilet as if his life depends on it. He retches, mind swirling in a fever and knuckles grasping tighter at the support until he can’t release anything else. He’s left dry heaving over the toilet, head leaning against the seat limply and eyes unfocused.

Frailness.

Melting.

Blood.

A shiver wracks his body. He sits upright and takes a few steadying breaths before spitting into the toilet and finally flushing it.

He places his hands against the seat and pushes himself up. He walks slowly to the bathroom door, swaying, before steadying himself once more against the doorframe. One more deep breath and he stands up straighter, attempting to look somewhat composed.

He heads towards what he has learned is his father’s bedroom. As silently as he can, he slips near the door and listens for any sound.

“—tch wouldn’t hand the research to me even when I had asked politely multiple times. It’s a good thing that brat can access that Metaverse. I think he may come in more handy than I had thought.”

The tone causes Goro to shiver again. He looks around the room, eyes hazy from distress and thought.

His eyes linger on the door and he hesitantly nods to himself.

Slinking around as quietly as he can, he gathers his clothes and packs them into his backpack from middle school. With nothing else to his name and not wanting to risk getting caught, he slinks to the door, opening it and closing it gently behind him. When he reaches the halls of the apartment, he breaks into a run, ignoring the elevator in favor of the stairs. He breaks from the front of the apartment and sprints until he’s out of breath, until he has no idea where he is anymore. Exhaustion hits him, and he curls up on the first bench he finds, thankful that no one is awake so early in the morning.

Tears stain his cheeks and sobs escape him as he thinks of blood.

 

* * *

 

“Akechi, where did you put the photographs of the crime scene?”

Goro looks up from his papers lethargically. He waves his clipboard at his partner.

“Should be near the front of the folder as always, Niijima,” he drawls, clearly uninterested in helping his partner any more than that. She scoffs at him and he tries to hide his playful smile behind his clipboard.

Not many places are willing to allow 16 year olds to work, much less full time while attending school. Finding a home took a while for the young teen, and the feeling of relief of finally having a roof over his head was one he would never forget. Even if the apartment he had was shabby and sketchy at best, it was his - a place where he could store food or wait out the rain, or even a place he could go to avoid people.

The young boy had managed to score himself a paid internship to learn about detective work - and he was more than willing to deliver. Sharpness, observation skills, the ability to make unseen connections - all are things Goro excels at naturally.

Nowhere feels quite like home to the boy, though, even after working as a detective for a full year. However, he stays at Sae’s office much more than he should - after working together for so long, her office is a perfect mess, with both making their imaginary areas tailored to them. The couch has pillows by its arms and a blanket folded near it, already prepared should either of the law enforcers decide to take a nap. It was a unanimous decision after they had both pulled multiple all-nighters in the office. As two overworked people, they often find themselves needing to rest.

The couch is commandeered by Goro while Sae lives at the desk, but both are more than willing to swap spots should the other ask. Sae hates writing on something as flimsy as Goro’s clipboard, while Goro relishes being able to lay down while working.

Both work hard to keep their folders and cabinets organized. It took around a month of arguing before they decided on a mutual system - a choice they both love and resent. It makes work much faster and easier, a godsend in their busy lives, but the moment they’re assigned to different cases, they are forced to learn how to work with strangers again.

Regardless, they had both decided to stay quiet on how much they appreciated the other - how Goro listens to Sae talk about her sister, the girl being able to draw out a large range of emotions in the older woman that both amazes Goro and makes him feel sickly jealous. Goro relishes those feelings of family.

It’s only natural to feel bitter, he reasons to himself.

For her part, Sae is surprisingly quick to jump to Goro’s defense. While working with strangers, Goro is used to being treated as an incompetent kid, yet Sae knows him better. She vouches for him no matter the circumstances.

She doesn’t admit it, but seeing the kid looked down on for his age makes her seethe with anger - the same anger that motivates her when people look down on her for her gender.

It’s an uphill battle for both of them. They also share, far more than they should. They help each other work on paperwork and filing and cases, picking up slack for when there’s a lull in their respective jobs. They also celebrate each other’s accomplishments with dinner, and tend to split money on food often.

Neither knows who owes who anymore. Nor does it matter to either of them.

A binder slamming draws Goro out of his thoughts, and he turns to face Sae.

“They’re not here,” she tells him, irritation in her voice. He cocks his eyebrow at her before putting his clipboard down gently, sitting up straight for the first time in hours and stretching. He stands up and moves to her side, leaning against her shoulder lazily.

He opens the binder again and flips to the front as eyes watch him expectantly. He already knows the photos aren’t there - Sae wouldn’t miss something like that, especially after how long she has had to get used to how Goro organizes.

It still feels strangely like a loss when he flips to the page they should be and nothing is there. He sighs, leaning slightly more against Sae.

“... The SIU Director might know?” he offers unhelpfully. Sae pinches her nose and sighs.

“This is your duty. If that’s where you think they are, go ask.”

The icy tone doesn’t affect Goro - he knows by now that she means well and her irritation isn’t directed at him. “Yes, ma’am!” he replies cheekily, putting his hands up in a mock salute before returning to his couch. He grabs his papers and plops the clipboard in front of Sae, grinning at her with clear intent as he grabs the binder.

Sae pushes him back by his face and grabs her pen, ready to take over where he left off, and Goro laughs breathily against the palm of her hand. He stands back and saunters to the door, a playful lilt to his walk - he feels refreshed after laying down so long, and he cracks his neck as he heads to the SIU Director’s office.

He knocks on the door a few times before saying, “This is Goro Akechi, I’m here due to some missing files.”

“Come in,” is the response, and Goro opens the door. He is greeted by the familiar sight of the grand room, its emptiness and cleanliness making Goro’s heart churn with something nasty. He walks to the desk, looking the director in the eye as he places the binder in front of him.

“Some files are missing from here,” he states, breaking eye contact to open the binder and flip to the empty folders that should have had photos in them.

“Is that so,” comes the response, in a tone that makes the nasty feeling grow. He knows, Goro thinks, but his smile betrays no distrust.

“Indeed,” he says with practiced politeness. The SIU Director hums before flipping through some more pages, and Goro has to stop himself from grabbing his wrist and forcing him to flip back to the correct page.

“I believe this is the fifth time this year this has happened,” he sighs.

“Only the fourth, sir,” Goro smiles.

“That’s still too much,” he says darkly, and Goro’s smile falters for only a moment. As Goro opens his mouth to speak, the SIU Director begins again. “I’ll let you in on something. Sae has a history of losing important files such as these.” He punctuates his statement with a heavy sigh, and it takes all of Goro’s willpower to keep his eyes from narrowing dangerously. “Tell Niijima this - if files go missing under her watch once more, she’ll lose her job here.”

Goro lets his smile fall, as would be expected by that remark. A silence continues between them, until Goro relents.

“Understood,” he whispers.

“Very well,” the director says, trying and failing to keep a hint of a smile out of his voice. “You are dismissed.”

Goro nods softly as he grabs the binder and walks out of the room. After the door closes behind him, he allows his anger to fester and a laugh to escape him - the director may have seemed proud of his acting, but Goro is even more proud of his own, how he managed to keep himself from jumping the man and strangling him on the spot for simply suggesting that Sae is the type to be disorganized with evidence.

He walks back to his office, lost in thought and his feet moving on their own. The path is practiced and one he refuses to unlearn any time soon.

He opens the door to the office with a defeated expression and sighs as dramatically as he can.

“What happened?” Sae asks, but the fact that she doesn’t look over says all Goro needs to know.

“He said that if you lose evidence again after this case, he’ll lay you off.”

He doesn’t look as he hears the hands slam against the desk. He simply walks over, placing the binder in front of her before yawning loudly.

“I never even had a chance to mess with the binder before today!” she yells, less to him and more to herself. Her voice is laced with the usual anger, but also a hint of panic.

Goro’s limbs feel numb. “I know,” he answers, despite knowing he doesn’t need to. He lays on the couch and closes his eyes, overwhelmed with exhaustion and debating ripping out the director’s eye.

 

* * *

 

 

He feels as though he comes to, but only partly. He feels himself standing, despite having just woken, and he opens his eyes blearily.

A courtroom.

And he stands as the witness.

Confusion overwhelms him as he looks around the room, taking in the strange bluish tint of the wood. The room seems to glow, and he narrows his eyes at it.

“Welcome,” booms a voice, “to the Velvet Room.”

Goro looks up, suddenly feeling small as a long nosed man looks down on him. He stares in awe before laughing to himself, covering the sound behind bare hands.

Bare hands.

Goro looks down at his outfit, startled by the unfamiliarity of it. The stripes seem to indicate something he had dreamt about for almost two years, and Goro feels himself become light-headed.

“Stand tall, suspect!” comes a sharp voice from his right, and he jolts to look at her, back straightening. The girl is sitting on the prosecutor’s bench, and it occurs to Goro that she wouldn’t be tall enough to stand behind it.

“You are in the presence of our master,” speaks a voice to his left, and he turns to find a similar looking girl sitting at the defense’s bench.

The outlandishness of the situation isn’t lost on Goro, but he feels too stunned to react.

“In the coming months,” booms the voice from above, and Goro looks back up, “you will face trials greater than before. Whether you run or fight is up to you. However, it is your duty to avert the calamity that is approaching you.”

“Calamity?” Goro echoes, still lost.

“For someone such as yourself, who has killed in the metaverse before, to stand before us now! You have a task ahead of you, and should you not meet it, you shall be forever condemned!”

Goro startles once more at the words, the images of a melting shadow and a broken body entering his mind against his will. He grasps his head, trying to subdue the sudden pain that jolts through it.

“Your duty is to atone,” comes the gentle voice, “for that atrocious crime. To do so, you must steal the hearts of sinners greater than you, and change the world for the better.”

Goro looks at her, eyes hazy, before a slam to his right catches his attention.

“Complete the task, and our master may consider letting you go!” she yells, voice clipped.

“Steal their hearts…?” His voice is weary, but he wants to understand this weird dream.

“Indeed. Only by doing so can you change a person, and complete your rehabilitation. Now, I look forward to meeting you again.”

 

* * *

 

 

“Wait!” Goro yells, reaching for the judge and grasping something. His hands grip a fistful of cloth, and he releases it almost immediately.

“What’s wrong?” he hears, recognizing the voice instantly. Goro tries to even his breathing slightly, and it takes only a moment for him to realize that he’s awakened in a cold sweat. His eyes focus slowly, noting Sae to his right.

He fell asleep on the couch. He laughs awkwardly at the realization, feeling shame creeping through him. The feeling intensifies as he notices the hand rubbing circles on his back - and he loathes how his body relaxes into the touch.

“Ah… did I bother you?” he tries to smile, but it’s empty. Sae shakes her head.

“Not at all.” The words are strained. “It seemed like you were having a nightmare, though.”

He sits up, refusing to admit that he already misses her hand at his back. “I suppose I was,” he answers, his laugh strained as well.

The two sit in an uncomfortable silence before Goro sighs. “I… suppose I should go home,” he says, not checking the time. He feels relief when Sae nods.

“I think that would be for the best,” she answers. He stands up and starts gathering himself, and as he heads for the door, he hears her whisper, “Take care, and sleep well.”

He laughs, and she seems surprised. “You too,” he replies easily, feeling equally bitter and happy that she would tell him something as sappy as that. He closes the door behind him and quickly walks to the exit.

Outside, he leans against the wall. He takes out his phone and looks back to the app he hasn’t touched for two years - the app that haunts him no matter how many times he’d tried to delete it. With a feeling of defeat and cold anger, he clicks on it.

“Tomohisa Asou,” he says and feels satisfied when the previously-forgotten voice replies.

“Match found.”

He leans against the wall, lost in thought. “Police station,” he tries.

“Match found.”

A bit of fear starts to bite at his heart, but he forces the feeling down. He leans back, determined to finish this before he could lose his only support.

The silence drags on.

“... Factory,” he tries, sighing when the voice replies in the negative. He crosses his leg, shifting his weight harder against the wall. “Military?” he asks, to no avail.

The thought of the director’s room appears in his mind. He stares at his phone.

“... Buffet,” he says.

“Match found.”

The world pulses around him, and he instinctively stands up straight. He turns around as the wall around him melts into something much cleaner and much taller. He admires it, wanting nothing more than to see it crumble.

“A-Akechi?!”

Goro can recognize that voice from miles away. He turns, eyes wide, and meets Sae’s gaze.

“N-Niijima?”

“What is this?!”

Her voice is filled with surprise and a startling edge of anger.

“Th-This isn’t what it looks like!” Goro yells back, holding his hands up placatingly. He pauses before he starts laughing, realizing how childish his response sounds.

Sae does not find the situation as funny. She glares at the boy before taking a deep breath and looking around.

Goro takes the hint. “This is, well, a buffet. It’s… It exists within something called the Metaverse.”

“The Metaverse?” Sae asks, eyes narrowed. Goro offers a reassuring smile.

“I’ll, ah, explain later?” He sincerely hopes she’ll forget somehow, or decide this is a dream. He has little hope in that, however.

Sae nods slowly, unsatisfied. Goro shrugs, looking back to the building.

“I need to enter, but I should lead you out of here first,” he says, more to himself than her.

She shakes her head. “I’m coming in too.”

“It’s not safe,” is his immediate response. The two meet eyes and glare.

A solid minute later, Goro sighs loudly. The older Niijima could be surprisingly stubborn when she wanted to. He briefly wonders if her sister is just as bad. “Fine, but stay behind me.”

“Understood,” she responds, and Goro tries to keep the scowl off his face, to no avail.

“By the way,” she starts, voice much softer than before. She points at Goro and he stares at her finger curiously. “When did you change into that?”

Oh. Goro puts a hand to his face, wrapping his fingers around his mask’s beak. He looks down at his outfit, the princely white and red vastly different from his usual clothes.

“I… didn’t?” he replies, uncertain. He can somewhat remember this outfit appearing when he first learned about personas, but it had meant very little to him at the time. The two look at each other, neither knowing the answer.

So they both shrug.

Goro tilts his head to the door. “I’ll lead, so shall we?” He moves in front of her and gestures for her to follow him as he pushes the doors open. He feels her curiosity radiating from behind him but ignores it in favor of eyeing the large waiting room ahead. Masked chefs (shadows, he reminds himself) bustle around the room. When Sae tries to push past him and enter, he holds her back.

“They’ll attack you,” he whispers, and watches as her eyes widen. Despite how inappropriate it is, he finds himself enjoying the feeling of power the situation gives him.

She nods, and he looks around the room. He gestures her to follow and dives behind a couch. He moves effortlessly, feeling strangely in his element. He avoids the chefs, waiting for a lull in their movement before leaping to the door. He nudges it open, leaning in just enough to see the hall.

Satisfied in its emptiness, he gestures Sae to enter and holds the door wider. She nods and runs to the door.

She shuts the door behind her silently, a gesture that pleases Goro. She catches on quickly. Goro looks back to the hall in front of them, a sense of unease pervading him at the lack of anything they can hide behind. The hall is completely empty.

He steps forward, his senses on high alert. Sae’s heels click quietly behind him, and for a moment, Goro thinks about how surreal the situation is, how quickly Sae was to follow him into unknown territory.

It would be endearing, if he wasn’t worried about the danger she is in.

The two approach the next room. Goro leans against the door, tensing as he hears loud voices. It sounds like a party of sorts, which does not work in Goro’s favor.

He turns to Sae and she moves beside him, her expression serious. He supposes his expression must be similar. Her eyes widen slightly, and Goro barely bites back a smile.

Goro has snuck through his fair share of palaces, but seeing Sae’s innocent reactions to them brings back memories of how he used to explore palaces just for the thrill of it. His own innocence has long been tainted by his third palace, where —

— where a woman glared at him with defiance in her eyes, even as her body dispersed.

A headache overwhelms Goro, and he leans against the door, holding his head. Sae immediately turns to him, eyes wide with concern, but he waves her off and stands up straight again.

“I’m fine,” he whispers, voice strained. Sae stares at him in disbelief before shaking her head, accepting his words. Goro is amazed — he never knew Sae to be the gullible type.

She sees the surprise on Goro’s face and gives him a reassuring smile as she whispers, “I trust you to know your limits.”

Limits. Goro heart tightens and he tries to think about what his limits are, and how much he pushes himself past them. He shakes the thoughts from his head and returns his attention to the door, Sae mirroring the action.

He meets her eyes and they both nod before he nudges the door open. The door hits something and Goro barely has time to register that fact before a large hand grabs him by his collar and throws him into the room. He opens his dazed eyes and is greeted by the tens to hundreds of shadows in the room, all watching him. He doesn’t dare to glance back — if Sae was caught, she would already be beside him.

So he doesn’t risk giving her away, despite the overwhelming urge to simply see her, to be certain of her presence.

He attempts to sit up, but a foot roughly kicks him back down, grinding into his stomach. He yelps and then hisses, body curling around the foot in an attempt to negate some of the pain.

The leg pulls away, but only enough to ease most of the pain. Goro gasps for air.

“Looks like a rat’s loose.” The voice is smooth and haughty and painfully familiar, and Goro doesn’t need to look up to recognize it as the SIU Director. He looks up regardless, taking in the golden strands and the silken outfit.

He looks every bit like a visitor. Goro stares silently, one eye shut in pain, and thinks about how odd the outfit is. The director looks more like a visitor than anything else, despite Goro’s assumption that he would be a chef, and --

And that was it. Goro laughs bitterly to himself, realizing that the chefs would be the officers, should the director have bothered to remember what they looked like. As it is, he’s just a guest, enjoying the spoils of their hard work.

When he was finished, would he leave them behind?

The thought makes Goro shiver, even as anger coils within him.

The director coldly looks him over before stepping closer. Without warning, he slams his foot on Goro’s head. A thick and loud sound reverberates through the room as pain shoots through Goro’s head. He screams and his vision blacks out for a brief moment before the room comes back into view, this time muddled.

“Or perhaps a bird. Though some do say that birds are nothing more than flying rats.” He turns to the chefs. “Do what you will, but don’t kill him. The boss needs him alive.”

The words feel off, but Goro’s mind is swimming in pain. Nothing feels right, and the world seems upside down. Distantly, he hears the director walk away. Hands grab roughly at his arms and pull him up, and he belatedly realizes that the guard from earlier had removed his foot.

He wonders if this is his end. He wonders if Sae will be mad. He wonders if she got out safe.

He wonders if she’ll miss him.

He isn’t left to wonder once he feels a jerk to his arm, the shadow disturbed. The pull is rough and he nearly falls to the side, but he catches himself and looks at the disturbance, immediately regretting the action when he sees Sae wrestling with the shadow.

His eyes go wide as she wrangles his gun from him and shoots him directly in the head. The shadow melts under the bullet, and Goro shivers at the sight.

Melting. Glaring. Bloodied and mangled.

He feels nauseous for an entirely different reason but has no time to contemplate it before the other shadow holding him is shot down as well. Sae grabs his arm roughly and pulls him, causing a spark of pain to run through his body.

She pulls him back to the hallway. He almost laughs at how bad a hallway would if they were attacked, due to the lack of room to fight, but instead he coughs and stumbles. Sae lifts him up slightly and slows to let him catch himself before running again, leaving the angered shadows behind.

The hall door slams open and Goro’s surprised to see it still empty. The two run through with no hindrances, ignoring the yells behind them as they slam the other door open.

They are met with tens of shadows. Some had already moved to block their only exit.

Goro laughs, a bitter sound, and Sae squeezes his wrist tighter.

A shadow roughly pushes Sae into the room from behind, and Goro only has a brief moment to process his shock before he is pushed in as well. He falls over, refusing to look at the still-standing prosecutor next to him.

“Are you giving up?” she hisses, the sound quiet but jarring. Goro doesn’t respond, and he feels the panic and determination from his partner.

She responds with silence.

The shadows approach them, and Goro stays silent, eyes closing.

A new sensation tingles through the air like static, jolting and unnerving and powerful. Goro looks to Sae, eyes widening as he watches blue flames grow around her, each lick of fire giving off a warmth that was undeniably hers.

Then he watches her face twist in pain as her hands move to grip her head, and panic shoots through him as she falls to the floor. She writhes as Goro watches, his throat dry.

“... Niijima?” he finally manages, the name strained on his tongue, but she doesn’t seem to hear him.

“........... I won’t…….”

The words are so quiet that Goro thinks he imagined them. The room is frozen, all eyes on the prosecutor.

She grits her teeth and opens her eyes.

“I won’t let you hurt him!”

The words are yelled with a determination and fierceness Goro hasn’t heard in over a year, and he flinches back. His eyes are glued to the gasping figure beside him as Sae shakily stands back up. Her hand covers her eyes, and he finds himself unable to tear his eyes away.

“I won’t hesitate anymore,” she states, voice steady. Her mouth twists into a sharp frown, and Goro only then notices the black lace mask covering her eyes.

“Come to me, Volumnia!”

Without warning, Sae rips the mask off, and Goro yelps when he sees the skin seemingly tear off with it, blood spurting from the wound and running down her face. Blue flames erupt from the wound and grow until they envelope her.

The flames dance higher and twist together into a figure behind her, a majestic and royal humanoid only slightly bigger than Sae herself. It holds its hands together in prayer, its white and purple colors accented by the golden mask covering its face.

The creature is like a queen, and Goro can only gape at how rich and warm it seems.

The fire dies down slightly, and Goro is left staring at the figure of his friend, now clad in a blue outfit with a silver star and hat. She stomps her foot down, spurs on her boots clicking with the motion, and she pounds a fist over her heart, leaning forward as if about to run. Instead, the creature behind her unclasps its hands and something green starts bubbling under the shadows.

Before the shadows or Goro can brace themselves, the bubbling liquid jumps up and covers the shadows, leaving them to scream as their clothes and skin appeared to melt.

Goro only has a moment to gape before Sae grabs his hand roughly and pulls him up. She looks from him to the door, making her intent clear, and even though his head is spinning, he runs beside her, past the screeching shadows clawing at their decaying skin.

The door slams open and the two escape the building. The world around them blurs and Goro can faintly hear the sound of the metaverse app thanking them for using its service.

“What… was that?” Sae asks, falling to her knees. She breathes heavily, evidently tired. Goro watches her and sits down as well, his hands moving to his forehead.

“I’m not sure.” His voice is strained.

Sae looks at her hands. The world blurs harder and Goro’s ears feel like cotton.

“She said she was--” Sae looks at Goro and pauses. “Hey, are you--”

The world blurs until it fades to black.

 

* * *

 

 

Goro awakens to the smell of chemicals and an all-engulfing white. He blinks the sleep out of his eyes and quietly looks around, accidentally making eye contact with one of the other two in the room.

“Ah, so you’re awake.”

Goro stares.

Takemi takes the hint. “You were brought here after you fainted. Your friend was awfully worried about you, you know.”

She ends the sentence with a small smile, evidently pleased. Goro sits up and looks to the other person in the room.

They stare at each other.

“So I… fainted,” Goro starts, feeling slightly dumb for stating the obvious. Sae wrings her hands.

“Yes,” she says, watching him with concern.

A moment of silence passes.

“You have a concussion,” Takemi pitches in. Goro instinctually reaches to his head, his hand pressing against bandage. “Plus, that was a fairly nasty bruise on your head. The skin had broken open as well. I’m not sure what type of fight you got into, but you should be more careful from now on.”

She watches him for reactions, but he gives none other than thoughtful silence. He looks at Sae questioningly, then back at the doctor.

“You’re not going to ask?”

“It’s none of my business. Besides,” Takemi adds, glancing at Sae, “I assumed she brought you here instead of a normal hospital specifically because she didn’t want to deal with questions.”

“That’s…” Sae starts, struggling, before she sighs. “I wouldn’t be able to answer any questions, so I had no choice.”

Takemi hums. “That’s what they all say. For the sake of my own curiosity, though, can I know if you plan to come back here?”

If you plan to keep being in a dangerous and probably unlawful situation is what is left hanging in the air, unspoken. Sae looks at Goro and he stares back before he shrugs.

“We… might?” she answers, unsure of herself. It takes more than a small amount of self-control to keep Goro from saying no, Sae will not be coming back here.

Instead, he simply says, “I hope not,” his tone joking. Takemi seems to understand and drops the topic.

“Regardless, the cut on your head is small and will heal on its own, so long as you don’t scratch at it. Otherwise, make sure to drink plenty of water and rest more than usual. And I mean more than a normal person, not your usual.” Goro flinches and Takemi gently laughs. “There’s dark bags under your eyes, you know. Even makeup can’t hide those from me.”

“Makeup?” Sae asks, staring at Goro. He shifts uncomfortably.

“It’s… useful,” is his only answer.

Sae stares thoughtfully at him. “You’re good at it,” she says, her words more sincere and understanding than Goro had expected.

He supposed they both had imperfections they preferred to hide.

“If that’s all,” Takemi chips in, “then I would prefer if you two went home. I’m running a business here, you know.”

The two law officials nod. Sae stands up first, dusting herself off before extending a hand to Goro. He grabs it and lets her pull him up, leaning slightly against her before shifting all his weight back onto himself.

“Thank you,” Goro says, bowing slightly to the doctor. She waves him off lazily and turns to write something on her clipboard.

“No problem. Take care.”

Sae thanks the doctor as well, and as the two walk out, they are greeted by dark clouds forming overhead.

Goro glares at the clouds, as if that would scare them away.

He turns to see Sae watching him closely, and he schools his face into something more polite.

“Is something the matter?” he asks.

“Do you want to stay at my place tonight?”

Goro stares blankly. “I…” The offer was blunt, but he finds he doesn’t mind the idea of crashing at her place. He looks back to the sky, gauging it.

“I think I’ll be fine,” he says, unsure. She simply nods, understanding that she can’t change his mind on such decisions and trusting him to know himself well enough.

They walk to the station together, enjoying the relative peacefulness and silence.

 

* * *

 

He wishes he took Sae up on her offer.

He grimaces as he steps off the train in the dark, very few people making their way off with him.

The rain pours down, and he heavily resents his earlier decision.

Without an umbrella, he starts running through the streets, water soaking through his body. Minutes pass and he slows to an annoyed walk, his body soaked through and through. His head pounds, but he ignores it, choosing to curse the icy rain instead.

As he rounds the corner to his apartment, he hears a whining sound from a nearby alley. He freezes, listening closer. He hopes it isn’t an abandoned child seeking shelter from the elements.

The whining continues and he slowly looks around the corner, eyes focusing on the gray mound on the concrete.

A cat.

He moves closer, slightly less nervous. The rain pools around him.

The cat isn’t moving.

He looks around the cat to find the source of the whining - a kitten. A kitten meowing at what Goro assumes is its mother, nudging and kneading at it.

The cat isn’t moving.

Goro watches.

He watches the kitten’s fruitless efforts, feeling his stomach tie into a knot. He’s barely scraping by as is, much less comfortably.

He watches how its feet are completely submerged in the forming puddles.

He watches as water drips from its fur.

He feels the water drip down his own body.

Goro sighs.

He leans down to the kitten, picking it up as gently as he knows how. The kitten twists and blows air out in what Goro assumes is a hiss, but he ignores it. He holds the kitten against his chest and places one hand above it in an attempt to shelter it from the rain.

When Goro makes it to his flat, he shifts his hold of the kitten to better reach the keys in his pocket, pulling them out with more difficulty than he would have liked.

He unlocks the door and it sways open, allowing him in. The boy walks in, closing the door behind him. Water drips to the ground and the kitten perks up slightly from the slight warmth in the room.

Goro places it in the bathroom before grabbing a towel and stripping down, leaving his old clothes to dry on a rack as he dries himself off and changes into new clothes. In that time, the kitten had moved to hide behind the toilet. Goro kneels down and picks it up, gently placing it in a towel and wiping the water off.

The towel ends up stained in mud. Goro grimaces at the sight before deciding to wash the rest of it off the next day.

When he stands, the kitten hisses at him. He ignores it, only to have a kitten climbing up his pants mere seconds later.

He pulls the kitten off and holds it so that their noses are touching, glaring at the creature.

The creature licks his nose in return.

Goro sighs and puts the kitten back on the towel on the floor before grabbing his toothbrush and grooming himself for the night. After he finally settles in, he pulls the covers over himself and has to bite back his annoyance as he feels a weight climb onto him. He sits up and grabs the kitten, putting it back on the floor before letting sleep take him.

 

* * *

 

 

He wakes up to dusty fluff curled up in the crook of his neck.

With a sigh much louder than he’d hoped, Goro sits up and rubs the sleep out of his eyes. Sure enough, the kitten is halfway on his pillow. And sure enough, mud stains taint the white cover.

Goro sighs again.

The kitten hisses before it opens its eyes, angry that its source of heat had moved.

Its tiny eyes open to focus on Goro. It hisses again and stands up, only to walk over to him and fall over against his knee.

Goro wonders if the hissing is because it doesn’t know how to meow.

He gives the cat a rub on its head before standing up and getting ready for the day.

 

* * *

 

 

“Feeling better?” he asks cheekily as he enters the office.

Sae looks up from papers that he’s certain she hadn’t been reading.

“I should be asking you the same,” she says, eyes heavy with worry.

Goro simply shrugs and enters the room, sitting on the sofa. “Doctor says I need to rest and drink water, and I’ve done both today, so I think I’ll be fine.” He waves her off.

“Speaking of which,” she starts, reaching into a drawer. She pulls out a water bottle and tosses it to Goro. It hits his stomach and he flinches at the sudden impact. “I bought this for you yesterday. Make sure to stay hydrated.”

Goro picks up the bottle and observes the condensation covering it. He trails his finger down and water gathers around it before dripping off.

He shakes the bottle and marvels when he hears ice clicking against its walls.

He takes a few sips of it, relishing the cold liquid despite the mild jolt of pain it sends through his head.

Goro closes his eyes, taking a deep breath before silently placing the bottle on the table.

“Niijima…” he starts.

“This is my problem as well, Akechi.”

The answer is blunt and stubborn, and Goro lets out a sigh. “It’s dangerous,” he tries, looking away when Sae glances at the bruise on his forehead.

“Which is why a kid shouldn’t be involved,” she answers, and Goro flinches. He looks back at Sae, eyes wary.

“... Do you think I’m not responsible enough?” he asks, his voice betraying his hurt.

Sae shakes her head. “That’s not it.”

“Then what is it?” He leans forward, looking Sae in the eye. She looks back, as stubborn as ever.

When Goro doesn’t relent, she sighs.

“I don’t want you to get hurt over something that’s my problem,” she answers.

Goro gives her an incredulous look.

He points at his forehead. “A bit too late for that.”

Sae shakes her head. “Exactly. I can deal with this myself.”

“Or I can deal with this.”

This time, it’s Sae’s turn to give Goro an incredulous look.

“This is my problem,” she reiterates.

“The other world is something I’ve worked with for years,” he responds. He relishes the brief look of shock on her face.

She leans back, lost in thought, and Goro takes another sip of water.

“Then we’ll do this together.”

Goro looks up and meets Sae’s gaze.

He searches for words to dissuade her, but her stubborn expression tells him he has no chance of doing so. He squirms under her gaze for a moment before succumbing to the inevitable.

“Fine,” he answers, aware of the strain in his voice. “But no going in without me. It’s too dangerous.”

Sae nods, relief evident in her expression, and Goro looks away. “Understood. I expect the same of you, Akechi.”

He nods, his tongue feeling like cotton, and he sighs. He looks into his water bottle and grips it tighter, feeling the cold bottle steal his heat.

“Then we only go together,” he confirms. Sae nods.

“By the way…”

Goro looks up, meeting Sae’s cautious gaze.

“Won’t we need weapons?”

“Weapons…?” he repeats, slightly confused. Sae looks to his forehead and Goro hums. “That’s a good idea, but…”

“But?”

Goro thinks of blood and a crumpled body. He bites back the memory. “Only non lethal weapons. We don’t know what damage could be done if we hurt the SIU Director’s shadow.”

“So they’re ‘shadows’ and ‘personas’?”

”Right,” he answers. “Personas and shadows are both born from humans, with personas being our true selves and shadows being the side we wish to hide.”

Sae regards him, tilting her head slightly. “Then wouldn’t they be the same thing?”

Goro makes a confused noise and Sae continues. “If a shadow is the side that’s hidden, and a persona is the true self, then isn’t a shadow just a fragment of a persona?”

Goro looks away, lost in thought. “I… suppose so,” he concedes. “Though to be fair, I know very little about them.”

Sae hums. Goro shakes his water bottle and takes another swig of water before taking out his paperwork.

The two work in silence until lunch. Sae takes out two boxes, giving one to Goro. He thanks her, knowing from experience that he wouldn’t be able to reject the gift.

Sae had begun bringing him lunches habitually after realizing that Goro would only eat an apple at lunch. She had asked about it, and Goro had shrugged her off. So she had brought him lunch the next day, a homemade meal from Makoto, and despite his protests, he found himself unable to reject the offer.

Learning that that was his first homemade meal in years, however, caused Sae to start bringing in lunches for him almost daily.

Even if he protests the action regularly, he enjoys the food immensely.

The gestures became a habit, and Goro’s now too used to having fresh lunches that going without them brings back anxiety he had numbed slightly over two years.

So he accepts the lunch with gratitude, savoring the light and fresh texture.

“I think I might know a place for weapons,” Goro starts, between chewing. Sae makes a noise, her mouth full, and Goro takes that as his cue to continue.

“There’s a shop that sells gun models. And the metaverse is based on the human mind and perceptions, so maybe even model guns would work…?”

Sae looks thoughtful for a moment before swallowing. “I would prefer more than just a gun, though.”

“You have your persona,” he points out. “Though I believe the shop also sells model knives.”

Sae nods. “It’s worth checking out, at the least.”

 

* * *

 

 

Goro ignores the pointed stare Sae gives him as he leads her down a dark alley. He gestures at the shop before them as Sae moves to open the door, letting herself in without hesitation.

Goro laughs under his breath, enjoying his partner’s lack of manners.

When he enters, he sees the shop owner visibly stiffen. Goro waves at him, holding back the urge to flash his badge to see what kind of reaction he could get.

“What do you want?” the owner gruffly demands. Goro turns his attention to the guns on display.

“My guess would be a model gun,” he starts, looking to Sae. She eyes the guns with determination and irritation.

She looks up and meets the owner’s eyes, her gaze steely. “Do you have anything bigger?”

The two men look at her in mild shock. “What I have is what I have,” he answers defensively.

“Not a gatling gun or anything similar?”

Their expressions shifted to complete shock.

“Niijima, why would they…”

Goro’s interrupted by a short laugh.

“Wait right here, miss.”

Goro turns to stare at the shop owner’s retreating back, mouth agape. After he disappears to the back room, Goro turns to Sae.

“Niijima…”

“The more, the better,” she answers simply. Goro stares at her in disbelief.

“This is all I have,” the shop owner says, holding the blocky weapon in his arms.

Sae’s eyes visibly light up as she reaches for it.

She looks it over, the excitement clear in her movements. The shopkeeper watches, amused.

“Like what you see?” he asks, and laughs when Sae nods.

Sae turns to him, expression much brighter than before. “Do you sell model knives as well?”

“I do, but wouldn’t you prefer something bigger?” he teases. When Sae simply crosses her arms, staring expectantly, the shopkeeper grins.

Goro opens his mouth to say something, anything about the situation, before sighing. “I’ll be waiting outside,” he says.

“Wait, kid,” the shopkeeper says. Goro turns back to face him. “Isn’t there anything that you want?”

His expression is almost childishly amused, and Goro holds his gaze for a few moments before grinning. “Apologies, but unless you have a lightsaber and a ray gun, I’m not interested.”

The shopkeeper smiles at Goro wider, and Goro’s expression falls in shock.

 

* * *

 

 

Goro sits outside of the police department, listening to the sound of crows cawing in the trees. The birds gather where they can, covering every branch, and Goro watches.

He hears the sound of a door opening near him and takes a silent breath as it closes. Footsteps approach him.

“I hope you weren’t waiting long,” comes the familiar voice, and Goro spares one last look at the crows before turning to face Sae. Seeing her face renews his desire to push her away once more, to take on the challenge of protecting her by himself. The thought of dealing with the consequences, though, causes Goro’s head to throb.

He bites back a sigh. The argument would be pointless.

“Not at all,” he replies truthfully. They hadn’t talked since lunch, but he’d had his own work to complete and had chosen to stay in his own office for the rest of the day.

She nods in acknowledgement before pulling out her cell phone. “By the way, a strange app appeared on my phone recently. I thought about deleting it, but since I didn’t know what it was...”

“Oh? Is the icon a red eye?” The statement genuinely catches Goro off-guard, and while he’s certain he knows what app she’s talking about, he’s never heard of anyone else having it.

Sae nods. “So it’s something important?”

Goro looks back to the crows, watching their movements intently while choosing his words carefully. “Something like that. You can’t delete it, though.”

Sae looks at her phone and stares for a moment before holding her finger on a spot of the screen. Goro turns his attention to her and watches as she deletes the app.

“... It’s gone,” she says, almost accusingly. Goro shrugs.

“Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Put it in sleep mode and wake it back up.”

Sae does as she’s told, and as the screen brightens once more, her eyes widen slightly.

A moment of silence passes. “So you’ve tried to delete it before?” she asks.

“A few times,” he replies. It’s a half-truth, but she doesn’t need to know how often he’s tried to remove that constant reminder from his life.

Sae examines the icon and decides to leave that response as is. “What does it do?”

Goro twists a strand of his hair. “It’s called the MetaNav. It allows people into the Metaverse.”

“The Metaverse being the strange buffet place?”

A glance to the building behind him. “That’s part of it,” he answers.

Sae’s eyes turn to the building before returning to her phone. “And to enter the Metaverse…” she trails off, swiping the screen of her phone. A moment passes before she states, “Tomohisa Asou, police station, buffet.”

“Match found.”

The world around them pulses and twists. Goro shuts his eyes, holding a hand against his head, until the world settles back into place. Sae’s attention is entirely on the building before them.

“Same as before,” she whispers, still in awe. Goro watches her for a moment before turning to the building.

“It’s probably a bad idea to enter from the front again,” he says, looking around. He takes note of a few windows surrounding the perimeter.

Sae follows his gaze. “I don’t think they’ll lead us anywhere better,” she says. Goro hums.

“Not directly, perhaps. But maybe we can use them to climb…?”

He gestures to a window underneath the lower level roof. Sae tilts her head in thought and then nods at him.

Goro nods in return before walking to the window, placing his hand on the sill and examining it. Seemingly satisfied, he pulls himself up to the sill, then up to the higher frame of the window. From there, he slowly stands up, keeping his balance and eyeing the roof above him. He leans slightly lower before jumping up, hands grasping the edge of the roof as he pulls himself up entirely.

“Your turn,” he tells Sae, looking down. She eyes the window as if it were poisonous.

She grabs the sill, hesitant, before pulling herself up as well. She reaches up to the higher frame then stops.

“...... I’ve never climbed up like this,” she admits, and Goro watches.

“Your sister’s never made you?” he asks, and Sae smiles.

“Of course she has,” she answers fondly. “But it’s been years since the last ‘incident’, and I’ve never had to climb directly up…”

Goro hums. “In that case,” he says, leaning down, “I can help pull you up. I’ve been doing this for a while, so it’s actually pretty fun for me.”

He holds his hand out for her and she smiles back. “My sister never offered to help me before,” she muses, placing her hands on the upper frame once more before pulling herself up confidently. As soon as she gets both feet on the frame, she stands up as far as needed and grabs Goro’s hand, trusting him to help balance her.

With a grunt, she jumps up and uses her free hand to grab the roof, Goro pulling her occupied hand with him. She kicks up the wall until her knees are on the roof.

Goro lets go and stands up, looking around once more. “The top floor is probably where we need to be,” he muses, eyeing the third floor. Sae stands up.

“Think there’s stairs nearby?” she asks, and Goro makes a thoughtful noise.

“Perhaps,” he answers, uncertain. Sae simply walks up to the wall before approaching the window from the side and peeking in.

“... No guards,” she says, and Goro nods.

“Best way to know is to check, right?” he says, stepping to the window. “....... It’s locked,” he states. Sae grabs the window and tries to pull it up, to no avail.

“We can break it,” she offers, and Goro laughs, a soft noise that gets carried away by the breeze.

“Or we can unlock it,” he responds, pulling a lockpick out of his pocket. Sae’s eyes widen.

“Do you know how?” she asks, taking a step back, and Goro hums.

“It’s a useful skill to have.”

A minute passes before Goro pulls the window up, allowing them entrance. He gestures for Sae to enter first, thinks better of it, and jumps in himself.

His feet land on plush carpet, muffling his landing. He walks forward slowly and surveys his area as Sae jumps in behind him.

“Clear,” he whispers, eyeing the large staircase to his right. The higher rooms were darker and quieter, the only lights being the flame lamps flickering on the wall.

Goro moves to the side of the staircase, placing his hand on it gently. He walks forward, Sae close behind, and slowly leans lower as he reaches the last few steps of the stairs.

He leans his ear to the wall and listens a moment, completely still, before turning the corner and looking directly up the steps. He takes two steps up, testing how much the stairs may creek. Satisfied, he gestures for Sae to follow him and runs up the stairs.

At the end of the stairs is a wide space. An extravagant door stands in the center, wide and imposing. Goro approaches it and twists the handle, pulling the door open. Sae’s by him in a second, peering in and examining the room.

“What’s that…?” he hears her whisper, and he positions himself to properly look into the room.

A blob of light catches his eye immediately. He gives the room a once-over before approaching the light. Something physical appears to be floating in the center, but as Goro touches it, it breaks like static around his hand.

“I’m not sure,” he admits. Sae places a hand on his shoulder and reaches for the light herself.

Sae opens her mouth to speak before a shout interrupts her, and the two quickly turn around, hands moving to their weapons. The ruckus comes from downstairs, and Goro curses under his breath before looking around the room. A window stands behind the light, looming over the town, and Goro’s near it in a second.

“That’s too far of a jump,” Sae hisses, but despite her protests, she was unlatching the right side of the window. Together, they push it up.

“Not with a persona,” Goro whispers, a grin spreading on his face.

She gives him an incredulous look before moving between the window and the door. Her hand moves to her mask as well, and she nods minutely.

 

* * *

 

“That was too hasty,” Sae scolds him, pushing an ice pack against Goro’s knee.

Goro grimaces. “Better than fighting,” he tries, and Sae frowns.

The two sit in silence for a few minutes. “We’re lucky to get out with only one bruise.”

He sighs. “I know,” he allows, too exhausted to argue a moot point. He grabs the ice pack and holds it in place as Sae stands up.

“Dinner will be ready soon,” she states, walking out of the room. Once he’s alone, Goro sighs, squishing the ice around the cold water in the bag. He entertains himself for a few seconds with the action before leaning back on the bed and staring at the ceiling.

They could kill the shadow, Goro supposes. His stomach protests at that and he grimaces, trying to clear his mind and focus on practical solutions.

If it came down to that, Goro would rather not have Sae involved at all. Though she would become the prime suspect, considering her situation. If the director passed away, people would immediately turn their heads to her.

He uses his arm to cover his eyes just as he hears someone calling for him. With a huff, he pushes himself off the bed, keeping the ice pack in its place.

Maybe food will help, he thinks, his stomach rumbling.

Or maybe it will just come back up. He grimaces before pulling his expression into one more pleasant.

He rounds the door to the living room, hand on the doorframe, and greets the Niijimas with a small wave and a smile. Sae nods at him before turning her attention back to her food.

Makoto watches him warily. It’s an expression Goro easily recognizes, but he pretends not to notice. He makes his way to a spot at the table, already set up for him, and Makoto clasps her hands together on her lap.

Her head bows lightly and Goro briefly wonders if Sae realizes how small Makoto makes herself look.

“What’s for dinner?” he asks instead, eyeing the plate in front of him as he sits down.

“It’s just curry rice,” Makoto answers politely, watching Goro reach over the plate to pick up his spoon.

“I see. You know,” he starts, looking to Sae with a mischievous sparkle in his eye, “your sister talks about your cooking a lot. I’ve been dying to try—“

“Just eat,” Sae interrupts with a glare trained on Goro. He smiles back, a bit too wide, and Makoto’s hands clasp slightly tighter.

He obeys, though, and takes a spoonful of his food.

“It’s delicious~,” he hums after swallowing the first bite. He gives Makoto an encouraging smile and feels a bit of pride as she relaxes somewhat.

“Is it? I was worried it wouldn’t be to your taste…”

“Well,” he starts, turning his gaze to Sae pointedly. She clears her throat in warning and Goro barely bites back a laugh.

The rest of the meal is uneventful, with small talk surfacing every few minutes. He feels like a stranger at the table, but he finds that he enjoys the company.

“Thank you for the meal,” he tells the sisters as he stands up.

“Would you like to stay the night?” Sae asks, eyes turning to his leg, and he shakes his head.

“Unfortunately, I have work to finish at home tonight. I’ll see you tomorrow, then, Niijima?”

 

* * *

 

 

The night is warmer than the ones before. It makes him feel lethargic, especially as he turns over ideas repeatedly in his mind.

He misses his stop.

The train rattles to a halt and Goro hops off, checking the time on his phone. Turning around and visiting the park would be pointless. He sighs and puts his phone back in his pocket, looking at the buildings around him.

The place tickles a distant place in his mind. He steps through the streets, eyeing the eccentric people stumbling around and the neon signs.

An approaching figure catches his eye from the side and he turns to see an officer walking toward him. Goro plasters on his best smile.

“Kids aren’t allowed here at night,” the man says, and the distant itch in his mind suddenly becomes a clear realization.

“I’m working on a case,” Goro returns, reaching into his pocket and offering his detective badge.

The man stares in shock for a moment before murmuring an apology. Goro simply nods, disinterested and back in his thoughts.

He turns to leave and Goro watches him for a moment before walking further into the night town, letting his feet lead him.

He’s only fought a human’s shadow once before. He wondered if they could change the shadow’s mind, somehow - but if the shadow changed, would that cause the palace to collapse? Would a change of heart even reach the real director? And how could a change of heart even be made - by talking to the shadow?

“O-Oh! Kid, over here!”

Goro’s snapped out of his thoughts by a voice nearby. He turns to see a woman sitting behind a table, cards strawn out in front of her.

“Is something the matter?” he asks, hiding his irritation behind a smile.

He looks at the cards in front of her - Justice and Judgment aside one another, and Death looming over them. He shifts his weight.

“Something big’s going to happen soon…” she whispers, biting her nails.

“Like what?” he jests.

The woman ignores him. “I see a great change in your future…” she says, “for you and those around you. And…” she reaches for two overlapping cards and hesitates just a moment before flipping them over, revealing the Chariot and Tower. “You’ll take down a leader near you, one with great control and power.”

She bites her lip and Goro quirks an eyebrow. “How so?” he asks, curiosity seeping into his voice.

She crosses her arms, examining the cards intensely. She reaches to the card closest to Goro and flips it - a reversed Fool. “By acting rashly,” she says, closing her eyes. “Whatever you plan to do, you must make it clear to the world and act without hesitation.”

Goro tilts his head. “What are my plans?” he asks, barely able to keep the derisiveness out of his voice.

Luckily, the woman doesn’t notice. “You must...” she starts, reaching for the final card and flipping it over.

A moment of silence passes.

The Lovers.

“... Steal the authority figure’s heart?” she asks, incredulous. Goro chokes and coughs, waving her off dismissively.

“Not going to happen,” he deadpans.

The woman sputters. “Maybe not literally!” she yells, before sighing. “Or… maybe literally. Maybe the cards are giving you dating advice? Are you seeing anyone right now?”

Goro brings a hand to his forehead and sighs. “I’m not too keen on talking about my sex life with a stranger.”

“Well, if you ever need dating advice, I’m willing to help out! Of course, my readings aren’t free, but…”

“I’m not paying,” Goro says reflexively. The woman opens her mouth to speak but he cuts her off. “I didn’t agree to pay for the reading beforehand. And unless you want trouble,” he reaches into his pocket and takes his badge out, “I wouldn’t press it.”

Her eyes widen before she huffs indignantly. “Fine, but if you ever need another reading, come back here anytime. And be ready to pay.”

“Will do,” he responds, having no intention of doing so. As he places the badge back into his pocket, her face lights back up.

“Oh, by the way, has your luck been down recently?” Goro raises his eyebrow at her. “I can give you a blessed stone to absorb your bad luck!”

“The offer is tempting,” he deadpans, “though I think I’m fine, thanks.”

She looks between him and the cards suspiciously before leaning back, unsatisfied. “All right, just stay safe. This isn’t a good place for kids, you know.”

“Got it,” he responds, waving at her as he starts his trek back.

 

* * *

 

 

The door to Sae’s office slams open at an ungodly hour in the morning. Sae startles and tenses, instinctually preparing to fight, before seeing Goro.

“Sae,” he begins, panting. He walks in and closes the door behind him, leaning back against it.

“What’s wrong?” she asks, already standing up and noting the scratches and dark bags under Goro’s eyes.

He raises his finger, stopping her. “We need to steal his heart,” he pants out, and Sae freezes.

“Whose heart?”

“The director’s.”

She stares at him for a moment, eyebrow quirked. “... Did you sleep last night?” she asks, concern heavy in her voice.

Goro shakes his head. “That’s not important,” he answers, and it’s clear as day he hadn’t. She sighs and offers him her coffee, which he takes gratefully.

“Do you plan to buy him flowers?”

“No, that’s—“ he starts, then takes a chug of the coffee. “Maybe something like that. Just hear me out.”

Sae watches him carefully. A few seconds pass before she sighs.

“If you’re into older men, then I won’t stop you,” she says, and Goro grimaces.

“I don’t mean romantically. The metaverse is a cognitive world, correct? Maybe if we make him aware of our presence—“

“He’ll fire us on the spot,” Sae interrupts. Goro shakes his head.

“Not if he doesn’t know it’s us.”

With another sip of coffee, Goro pulls a card out of his pocket and holds it out for Sae. She regards it for a moment.

“Dear Tomohisa Asou -  
You have been found guilty of forging evidence and sabotaging cases for your own personal benefit. We will take your greedy heart from you so that you may never harm another human being.”

The words fall from her lips hesitantly. She brings a hand up to her chin in thought.

“It’s printed,” she notes, and Goro grimaces.

“Harder to track down who wrote it if it’s in print,” he answers, and Sae snorts.

“Yeah, he’d recognize your handwriting in an instant. Though whether or not he’d be able to read the card at all is another matter.”

“Rude,” Goro responds, then sighs. “But true. Admittedly, that was a large reason why I printed it.”

“You don’t say…” She flips the card over, taking in its blank back before flipping it again. “And what will this change?”

“If he’s aware of us, then it would follow that his palace would change, correct? After all, it’s directly linked to his mind.”

Sae rereads the card quietly before nodding. “And how will we deliver this?”

“I can handle that,” Goro answers, grinning wolfishly.

 

* * *

 

 

Goro rounds the corner too quickly, sliding on the smooth floor before catching himself again. The officers behind him move so slowly that Goro feels he might have enough spare time to get a drink of water while waiting for them to catch up, but the thought is gone quickly.

He slams his hands against Sae’s door, as loud and startling as he can manage. She opens it quickly and Goro nearly falls in.

Instead, he catches himself against the frame, leaning against it while panting.

“Is something wrong?” she asks, eyeing the officers behind the boy.

“It’s—“

“Someone left threats all over the office!” one of the officers yells, hand resting on Goro’s shoulder as he leans forward. Sae’s eyes widen for a moment before she schools her face into something more serious.

“Akechi, I expect you to gather any evidence you can. As for the rest of you, the perpetrator is likely still in the building - search every possible location for them.”

The officers falter and distaste flashes across their expressions, but Sae’s glare forces them to salute and return to work quickly. Goro nods, just as serious as his coworkers, and runs off with them.

He speedwalks past policemen and tries his best not to admire the panic sweeping the station. He had been pulled this way and that, but as word spreads and chaos grows, Goro finds it all too easy to slip out a back door.

Sae had arrived before him.

His hand grabs her shoulder and before she can react, he says, “Tomohisa Asou, police station, buffet.”

“Match found.”

The world pulses. Sae turns to look at the grin covering Goro’s face.

“So?” he asks, tone dripping with pride.

“Why so many cards?” Sae returns, and Goro simply laughs.

“It seemed like more fun,” he answers. “Besides, it made your shock seem more genuine.”

Sae rolls her eyes before shouts catch their attention. They both fall to their knees and listen to the sounds coming from the building.

“It really has changed,” Sae whispers. They stay silent for a few moments, assessing their situation before Goro nudges her arm.

“Better get going,” he says, and Sae nods. They round the corner to get a better view of the area, then run to the same window as the day before.

Without hesitation, Goro jumps against the window, using momentum to climb faster. He takes one final leap and grabs the ledge before climbing up entirely, and he immediately turns and leans down, hand outstretched for Sae.

She climbs the window with more certainty than before, but as she grabs Goro’s hand, he hears yelling from his side. He turns his head to the source of the noise, cursing under his breath.

“Get moving!” he orders, and he feels Sae grip his hand tighter as she places her foot against the wall. The shouting grows louder and Goro grits his teeth as Sae grabs onto the ledge—

A pain courses through him and he yells, body tensing involuntarily as electricity runs through his muscles. Belatedly, he realizes the shock had jumped to Sae as well.

She dangles from the roof by one hand, but as Goro reaches for her, a hoof stomps on front of him. He pushes himself up quickly, trying to keep the panic out of his mind.

“Do you plan to steal His treasure?” the monster asks, and Goro scoffs.

“Any treasure of his isn’t worth my time,” he sneers, and the monster laughs.

“You and He have eyes on the same thing,” it sings, and Goro raises an eyebrow, drawing his sword and taking a step back - closer to the other shadows, but further from Sae.

“I’m unsure what you mean.” He flicks the sword on, feeling comforted by its light.

The shadow moves toward him.

“You both yearn for sweets, do you not? Sweets, power, and obedience,” it asks, tone low and hungry. Goro keeps his eyes on the monster in front of him, taking another cautious step back.

“Can’t say I do,” he answers uneasily. He hates the uncertainty, but if he can buy Sae just a little—

A hand appears on Goro’s shoulder and he jumps. He instinctively turns and freezes as he feels a pair of lips on his, gloved hands running down the back of his neck.

“Just enjoy the sweetness,” the demon whispers, and Goro feels a twinge of magic run down his back as she nips his lip, as his heartbeat speeds up, as he mind blurs—

Two screams sound, and when Goro’s mind clears seconds later, he’s panting, sword shaking in his hands and shadows dispersing around his feet.

He stares down a moment longer than necessary before his eyes snap back up, meeting Sae’s gaze instead of the other shadow’s.

Silence passes as Sae watches him, and Goro looks back down to the floor.

“Did I…” he starts, voice weak and shaky. He doesn’t dare to meet Sae’s eyes again.

She walks over to him slowly and he flinches. She pauses in response, waiting for him to calm down.

“You didn’t seem too charmed,” she jokes, and Goro stares at the floor before shaking his head and flicking his sword off.

“Seems I lost my head though,” he forces a laugh, small and strained.

Sae keeps watching him and he feels ill.

“We have to get going,” she says, and Goro’s grateful for the change in topic. He nods and takes one final deep breath.

Sae approaches the window wordlessly and looks in. He walks up behind her.

“It’s clear,” she says, and she looks to Goro.

“Clear?” he raises an eyebrow.

She nods. He walks to the window in peers in himself.

“... It’s clear,” he confirms, and pulls the window up. He takes another look around the interior before he jumps in, feet landing on carpet. He immediately sidles up against the staircase wall, looking up cautiously. He feels Sae’s presence behind him, and the two share an uncertain look before making the corner and running up the stairs.

Their steps echo through the silent hall even as they reach the top of the staircase. The door stands in front of them, tall and open, and they can only spare each other one quick glance before running in, hands on their swords.

A cake stands before them, large and extravagant. Goro approaches it, Sae close behind, before the telltale screeching of a door sounds behind them. They turn and the door clicks shut, the director in front of it with a satisfied smile on his face.

“You fools!” the man laughs, gesturing to the two knight shadows beside him. “Did you truly think your heist would go this smoothly?”

Goro and Sae look at each other.

“Yes?” Sae tries as Goro turns around, approaching the cake once more. He drags his finger down the frosting before licking it clean.

The director’s eyes twitch.

“Have you no fear?” he asks.

“I’m trembling in my boots,” Goro deadpans back. “By the way, this frosting feels stale. Did you plan to serve this?”

He looks questioningly at the director, who seethes in response.

“Is it at least good?” Sae asks, eyes on their enemies, and Goro shrugs.

“Sure is sweet, I guess.” He reaches for the platter.

Sae shouts and Goro barely has time to react before a bullet grazes his shoulder. He pulls out his ray gun and moves directly in front of the cake, hoping the director wouldn’t dare to harm his own dessert.

“You little brats…!” the man yells, covering his face and stumbling backward. Sae takes a step back and Goro, forward. Their shoulders brush. “A few more days and the woman would’ve been gone! Ohhh, what I would have right now if I could have taken the bird back to its rightful owner!”

“The bird?” Goro mirrors.

The man ignores him and laughs. “You, oh you…” he says, laughing louder and glaring at Sae, “you’ve ruined everything…! Just a few more days and I would have all the power needed to reign over this filthy society!”

“People will obey those they respect,” she returns, trying to understand the madman’s words.

He shakes his head. “They obey those in power, you fool!” he yells, shadows gathering around him. They crawl up his body and Goro flinches, taking a step back even as Sae holds fast to her position. The shadows hold their spears in front of him, guarding their boss as he screams and mutates.

Goro watches, frozen, as the director grows and looms over them, insect eyes bearing into them. The laughter continues, growing frenzied as the director gets used to his new body.

Without warning, the mantis-shaped monster bites onto the head of the shadow on its left, ripping the head off and swallowing it whole. The shadow’s hands reach for its neck and scratch at the exposed flesh before it falls, motionless.

It melts into the floor, leaving behind the blood from its wound.

Goro takes another step back, bumping into the table behind him.

The second shadow quietly backs away from its master as well.

“Get them!” the monster bellows, and the shadow kicks its horse into motion.

Or is the horse also the shadow? Goro flicks on his sword, choosing to save the thought for later.

“We can’t talk this out?” Goro tries. A shout and a spear aimed directly at him is his answer, and he curses under his breath as he deflects the blow with his sword. “Guess not,” he breathes, and with a grunt, he swiftly pierces the horse’s front leg with his blade.

The horse screams before biting at Goro, nicking his hand. He bounces back a step and watches the horse collapse, its wound leaking a shadowy gas.

“Sae!” he shouts, turning to give her a brief look. She nods at him and grabs the platter with the cake. Goro aims his gun at the window.

The window shatters as Sae yells, and before Goro can react, a sharp pain blossoms in his side and he’s thrown to the side of the room. His breath is knocked out of him as he hits the wall, and he curls in on himself briefly, hands gripping the gaping cut on his side.

As he steadies his breathing, he looks up and meets the eyes of the director, blood dripping from its foreleg. Goro clutches his side tighter and hisses through his teeth.

“I can’t kill you,” it says, voice dripping with venom. It turns to Sae. “You, however…”

The two look at each other, equally confused, before Goro gestures to the window with his head.

Sae hesitates. Then, without warning, she grips her mask and yells for Volumnia. Goro nearly screams at her to stop and make a run for it, but the light growing in his side renders him speechless. The pain fades as his skin knits itself back together, slowing the bleeding to a halt.

He stares at the blood on his glove and the scarred skin underneath. The world slows down and becomes muffled as panic creeps into his mind, as surely as the cold slipping into his veins.

He snaps out of his reverie as the monster screeches, his fingernails clawing into the palms of his gloves. He draws his ray gun and shoots at the shadow’s back, the shot burning into it.

It lets out a pained cry before turning back to Goro.

He draws his sword.

Sae meets his eyes and nods, and Goro focuses his attention on the director instead. It leaps at him and he barely dodges the quick blow, the wall beside him breaking. Bits of it crumble and Goro grips his sword tighter, taking careful steps backwards toward the door.

It pulls its foreleg out and swings at him again, a sideways blow that Goro jumps onto. He swings at a joint, the light blade cutting through it seamlessly.

The monster screams as its arm falls, no blood coming from the scorched wound. Goro falls with it, losing his balance and landing gracelessly on his face. He groans, rubbing his nose. His glove comes away with blood, but he’s unsure if it’s from his nose or if it was there before.

He doesn’t have time to test the theory. A loud clunk catches everyone’s attention, and he looks over to see Sae perched on the sill, frosting on the broken glass.

Both of the men stare at her.

“Did you seriously…?” Goro begins, then shakes his head.

The monster coils, anger tightening its muscles. “You bitch!” it yells, “That was the main course!”

Sae quirks her eyebrow. “Since when was cake a main course?” she asks, genuinely confused. She looks at Goro and he shrugs.

“I’ll murder you!!” it screams and charges, only for Goro to grab one of its back legs. It trips onto its face and Goro has to force down a petty laugh.

It glares at him with crazed eyes and Goro feels the short cheer dissipate.

“Go!” Goro yells, and Sae opens her mouth to protest. He gestures at the door with his head and forces a smile. “I’ll leave out below, don’t worry!”

Sae hesitates, leaning back into the room, but finally nods and jumps off to the roof below.

A claw slams the space next to Goro, shattering the floor. Goro yelps and hops up, holding his arms up as if to placate the monster.

“If it weren’t for her,” it seethes, pulling its arm out of the ground and advancing towards Goro, “I could have had the world.”

“The world is too big for one old man to own,” Goro responds, stepping backwards in time with the director. It laughs darkly.

“You’re the only one we needed. But no, you just had to become friends with her.”

“”We”?”

“I should’ve gotten rid of her while I had the chance,” he seethes, leaning down slightly. “Or perhaps she deserved to be broken instead. All her nonsense talks about justice and protection… she should have been taught her place.”

“Her place,” Goro repeats, his heart suddenly feeling heavy.

“She’s of no use to the force as a woman, boy. Just as you’re of no use as a detective.”

Goro’s back hits the door and he stops. The director laughs breathily, approaching until his face is touching Goro’s mask, eyes locked.

Goro doesn’t move.

“Be scared, boy, for your future holds only despair for you.”

“I’m not afraid.”

The voice is steady and certain, and the director flinches. Goro takes a step forward, mask pushing against the director and forcing him to take a step back.

“I don’t care what the future holds for me. But if you say one more thing about Sae...” he says, taking another step forward.

The world pulses around him and he clutches his head in agony, clawing at his forehead. Both of them take a step back as flames burn around Goro’s mask, and he gasps at the heat.

_So, have you finally realized?_

The voice is gratingly familiar, and Goro clenches his teeth.

“Who,” he hisses, eyes closed. A hand reaches to him, visible even when everything else is darkness.

 _You wish to protect your family,_ it says, and Goro forces down the panic that rises at the thought of his father. The creatures chuckles. _Your real family, and all those who have supported you. All those who need your help._

“Who are you…?” Goro tries again.

_I am thou. Thou art I. I am Robin Hood, one of your myriad selves._

Goro forces out a laugh. “Myriad selves,” he repeats bitterly. “Do you perhaps mean all the lies I tell? All the pleasantries I show to others?”

 _Lies and truth are born from the same place within you. The distinction isn’t as clear as you believe._ Goro grunts in response.

_Which masks you will create, which ones you will keep, and which ones you will throw away. I wish to know all of your masks. So take my hand, and allow your protective mask to flourish._

Goro takes a steadying breath. He senses the director near him, too close for comfort, yet time seems to be frozen. Nothing moves aside from the flames burning his face and dancing on the persona’s body.

“”Protective mask”,” he whispers, thinking about Sae. Despite his wishes, he knows she is waiting for him below, just close enough to be unsafe. It bothers him that he can’t get her to protect herself, not while he is in danger.

He shakes his head. He reaches out, grabbing Robin Hood’s hand, and the persona nods at him before dissipating into flames. They climb up Goro’s arm and engulf him, but instead of pain, he feels strength surge through his veins.

He laughs, a breathy sound that quickly escalates into something crazed. He opens his eyes, pupils dilated as he fixes his gaze on the director, and he grabs his mask, thumb laying gently on the beak.

“Come to me!” he yells, tearing the mask off and barely registering the pain and blood dripping down his face. Robin Hood manifests behind him, prim and proper and solid compared to the wild boy in front, and he draws his bow.

He shoots and the arrow pierces the director, causing it to scream as Goro feels a sharp pain in his side. He ignores it, taking the opportunity to drive his sword into the creature’s stomach.

Blood drips from its gaping mouth before it melts into shadows, the SIU Director’s true body reforming. He grabs the blade and clutches it, the light burning into his fingers.

“Are you going to kill me?” he asks, fear in his voice.

Goro’s eyes narrow. “Of course not,” he answers, hiding his own fear as images of a mangled woman resurface in his mind.

The director laughs hollowly. “But you wish to ruin my career.”

“As you did with Sae,” comes the calm reply. He pulls the sword out and the director crumbles, hands moving to the burnt hole through his stomach. The building starts cracking around them and Goro looks around.

“I wanted power…”

“You’re not fit to rule even a fly.”

The director doesn’t answer. Bits of the ceiling start crumbling in and Goro walks to the window calmly.

He jumps onto the sill before the director speaks again, voice low.

“I’m sorry.”

Goro doesn’t look back. He takes a deep breath.

“I don’t want to hear it,” is his only response before he jumps down to the roof below.

He lands and stumbles forward, the pain dulled by his persona.

“Akechi!”

Goro turns around and sees Sae near the open window. He grins and salutes her, legs unsteady beneath him.

She runs over and wipes away some of the blood on his cheek, leaving icing behind instead. She freezes and Goro laughs.

“Where’s the cake?” he asks, and she gestures to the front of the building with her head. The main section of the building collapses in and the two look at each other.

“Go!” Sae yells, taking off to the front and jumping down with Goro in tow, the ground giving in after them.

“This is too much…” he complains, rubbing his legs and grimacing.

“Save it,” Sae responds, and Goro nods. He stands up straight and looks around before spotting the cake.

“... It’s still in one piece?” he asks, surprised.

“Yeah. It didn’t squish like I expected it to.”

Goro hums. “Could you put your hand in it?” he asks, and Sae glances at him. He holds his cleaner gloves up pointedly and gestures at the cake with his head. “It’s not like we have the platter to carry it with regardless.”

Sae nods before walking over to the cake. She makes a face as she puts her hand into the mess of dirt and icing, pausing after her fingers reach halfway in.

“It’s solid,” she notes, and Goro raises his eyebrow.

“Most cakes are,” he says, and she shakes her head.

“Rock solid,” she clarifies, and the curiosity overcomes Goro. He walks over and sticks his hand in as well, scratching against the solid surface beneath the icing.

“So it is,” he whispers dumbly. He cups his fingers and scratches down, clearing a section of icing off to reveal a black surface beneath.

Sae moves to stand next to him and examine the cake.

Goro grimaces. “I ate that!” he yells, faking a gag. Sae rolls her eyes.

“We need to take this out entirely, right?” she asks. Goro sticks his tongue out.

“I guess,” he says, far less enthusiastic than before. He looks back at the cake and pauses.

“... Won’t it be odd if we suddenly appeared with a black abyss cake?”

“In the real world?” Sae asks. The two pause for a moment.

“... Guess we’ll see,” Sae says, and Goro grins.

“Maybe we can make the director eat it!” His expression is filled with glee and it’s Sae’s turn to grimace.

“We aren’t doing that,” she states, but there’s a mischievous glint to her eyes that Goro doesn’t miss. He grins wider.

“Only one way to know!” Goro pulls the phone out of his pocket with his right hand, clicking the app and inputting data. He puts his hand on the cake and leans against it, turning to Sae.

She nods, placing her hand on the cake as well.

The world pulses around them and Goro feels the support vanish from under him. He yelps as he falls sideways, feeling Sae catch him.

“Destination deleted. Thank you for using the Metanav.”

“Are you okay?” Sae asks, arm wrapped securely around Goro’s waist.

He groans. “Could be better,” he drawls, painfully aware of the contact. He brings a hand up to his forehead and pauses, groaning louder as icing gets on his head.

Sae removes her arm awkwardly and Goro uses all of his self-control to bite back another groan at the large smear of icing Sae left on his clothes.

“Where’s the cake?” he asks instead. Goro pushes his right palm down, a bumpy object pressing into it.

He picks it up and holds it out.

“A badge?” Sae asks, and Goro snorts.

“Certainly not a cake.”

Sae shoots him a quick glare before turning her attention back to the object. “It’s shiny.”

“And new.” He flips the badge over. “Think it’s his?”

“His is much more dull…”

The two examine the badge for a minute before Goro sighs and pockets it.

“It’s late,” he says, pointing to the setting sun. He hears Sae swear under her breath at the realization.

“Dinner’s probably…” she starts, then moves to put her hand on her pocket before thinking better of it.

Goro smiles. “It seems we both need to clean up,” he says, gesturing at the smear of icing on his clothes. Sae sighs.

“I hope Makoto isn’t worried,” she whispers, and Goro’s smile becomes a little more forced.

“I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

Sae nods. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

“See you then,” he says, waving and turning to leave.

 

* * *

 

 

Goro fumbles with his keys, picking out the one to his apartment and inserting it awkwardly into the lock in front of him. He twists it and takes it out, opening the door to the sound of incessant meowing. He closes the door behind him as the cat reaches him, circling him and begging for attention. Goro sighs and throws his keys on the counter.

The cat starts climbing his legs and Goro picks it off, regretting his choice as icing gets on its fur. He brings the cat up to his face, pressing his forehead against it and making eye contact.

“Stop,” he whispers.

The cat licks his nose and Goro sighs. He wonders if icing is bad for cats. Supposedly they can clean themselves, but Goro isn’t sure.

It twists in his hold and Goro grins, something petty stirring in him. “Looks like we both need cleaning… hope you like water!”

He brings the cat into the bathroom and places it in the tub. It turns and tries to jump out, but Goro holds it back. “This is for your own good,” he says, petting it absentmindedly.

… Surely water will be enough, he thinks, turning on the bath water and waiting for it to grow warm. The cat meows, trying to escape, but Goro keeps it in the tub until the water is warm. He plugs the tub and lets the water rise to the cat’s ankles, ignoring the alarmed cries.

 

* * *

 

 

When Goro walks into the office the next day, it’s with poorly-hidden exhaustion and scratches under his sleeves.

At least he’s clean, he thinks bitterly.

His irritation quickly fades into alarm as officers swarm the room in front of him in a panic.

The curious part of his brain wants to stay and figure out what’s going on.

The defensive part of his brain is going over a million worst-case scenarios and is pushing him to Sae’s office.

The rest of his brain wants him to go back home and sleep.

“Akechi!” one of the officers cries, grabbing his arm. Goro startles out of his thoughts, the contact making his arm numb and tense at once.

“What happened?” he asks, pulling away gently. The officer doesn’t notice his distress.

“The director quit,” she says, and Goro freezes.

“Quit?” Goro asks. She lets go and Goro resists the urge to rub his arm.

“Yes, he— look, you’re too late to talk to him, he’s been put under custody.”

“Custody?” The word falls from Goro’s mouth. “For what?”

“He’s confessed to helping plan a murder!” she says, pulling his arm.

He stares at her in shock.

She lets go of his arm. “You’re not assigned to this case, but should anything come up…”

“I’ll let you know immediately,” he finishes. She nods and runs back into the mess of officers.

Goro stands for a few moments, dazed, before taking off to Sae’s office. He slams the door open, not even bothering to knock first.

The room is empty. He closes the door behind him and sits on the couch, drawing his knees up and thinking of a mangled body.

**Author's Note:**

> https://archiveofourown.org/works/11359620/chapters/25426752
> 
> Here’s the good fic where the cat Furball is adopted from (with permission), please read it because it will destroy you


End file.
